Tom Woods Cardan Joints

99xj4x4 · Dec 11, 2009

Has anyone else had problems with the cardan joints in their Tom Woods drive lines? Im going to be on my third one. Im wondering if it is just their quality of parts. Last time when I called the guy tried to tell me that one in every few thousand might have a manufacture error and go bad. But come on 3?! am I really that unluckey? I don’t mud bog, Im only in desert sand occasionally (never sand dunes), I keep the under side clean, and I grease it often.

stumpXJ · Dec 11, 2009

The ony Cardan I have seen go bad is on Ghost's jeep, and he is on 42's. It bent the actual housing. Havent had any problems out of my cardan, but did have to replace a u-joint on the axle end after about 5000 miles. It was a brand new woods shaft.

What happening to yours?

SC Rednek · Dec 11, 2009

I bent the housing on mine, but since I play in mud I change out u-joints a lot, so I probably bent it changing a u-joint but don't know for sure. Never bent any of my others though.

I did have a centering ball go after about 2 months too, and it was really well greased so it wasn't the mud.

magimerlin · Dec 11, 2009

I have had mine about 2 years and have had no issues at all. I don't really do mud, I am mainly in the rocks and it is currently my daily driver as well.

What is actually happening to yours? What lift height are you at? What angle is it at at the axle? Did you just toss it in or did you rotate the axle to align the shaft with the axle yoke like you are suppose to?

cal · Dec 11, 2009

I've been on my tom wood shaft for about 4 years now without a problem.

99xj4x4 · Dec 11, 2009

It's the centering balls every time in mine that go out. Axle is all set up correctly. Lifts at about 8".

RCP Phx · Dec 11, 2009

No issues here in 10yrs.How are you greasing the center-ball,I can only do mine by removing the driveshaft?

cal · Dec 11, 2009

I was about to suggest you change brands of grease, too..

muddeprived · Dec 11, 2009

99xj4x4 said:
It's the centering balls every time in mine that go out. Axle is all set up correctly. Lifts at about 8".

Something isn't set up properly if you are going through centering balls. Double check your work.

nochance9 · Dec 11, 2009

I'm going on 8 years on my woody. Never had a problem. Tom woods has a good rep for strong shafts, something is wrong with your set up somewhere.

99xj4x4 · Dec 12, 2009

Nothing is wrong with the set up, I never had problem untill after I put the tom woods on. I choose tom woods because of their quality and they custom built what I wanted. The drive shaft (as well as the front tom woods that ive never had a problem with) has a longer cv so I can run it front or rear, and have a high angle cardan joints on them so they wont bind up on the front.
The grease im using is just normal automotive grease, its never been a specific brand. Just depends on where im working on it and what grease gun I grab.

Goatman · Dec 12, 2009

99xj4x4 said:
It's the centering balls every time in mine that go out. Axle is all set up correctly. Lifts at about 8".

Are you bottoming out the joint? What have you done to be certain you're not?

You have to let the axle droop all the way with the driveshaft disconnected at the pinion, and let the driveshaft hang down to make sure it will drop more than the axle is dropped.

Tom Woods Cardan Joints

99xj4x4

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stumpXJ

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SC Rednek

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magimerlin

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cal

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99xj4x4

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RCP Phx

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cal

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muddeprived

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nochance9

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99xj4x4

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Goatman

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